


Camelot High - A.K.A Arthur has a sword again.

by kingsqueensroyalty



Category: Merlin (TV), Sky High (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossover, Developing Friendships, Male-Female Friendship, lance and gwaine will be best friends, magic instead of super powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25368871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingsqueensroyalty/pseuds/kingsqueensroyalty
Summary: In this crossover between Sky High and Merlin, the school is split between Knights and Mages. The headmaster being famous Ex-Knight Uther Pendragon. Camelot High, all of the glory of the original Camelot and none of the problems, right?Yet even when he’s not King, it looks like there’s a bounty on Arthur’s head.Now Merlin’s got a scholarship and magic that doesn’t quite work.When it comes down to saving their school, their friends - can Merlin and Arthur work together to do what is right?
Relationships: Gwaine & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine & Lancelot (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Morgana (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Will (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	1. Travelling, insecurities and a prat

**Author's Note:**

> This story would not let me have peace until I put it out into the world. I have an idea of where I'm taking this but I've never attempted to write something with so much going on. 
> 
> Please leave any notes you have, I'm very open to criticism so this story can be the best it can be. Thank you for reading!
> 
> I do not own Merlin or Sky High, only the plot and the characters bad decisions are my own.

Camelot high. The place every parent in Albion wanted their child to go. 

The school trained its students to be the best, whether they were trained in magic or with a sword, or both. They had two programs for that very purpose. 

The Mage Program was split between Hedge Wizards/Witches and Mages depending on how the entrance exam went. Similarly, the Knight Program was split between squires and knights, depending on test results. 

With its state of the art facilities, renowned teaching methods, and its head teacher being famous ex-knight Uther Pendragon - it was the best place to build your future. 

At least that’s what all the brochures said, and Merlin’s mum was sold. 

Just not so much Merlin himself. Even as he sat on the uncomfortable, spotted train seat to go with his mother's encouragement ringing in his ears, the landscape of trees turning into towns passing him by, he had his doubts which sat heavily on his shoulders like a weight.

He didn’t want to leave Ealdor, his best friend was there. Him and Will had been best friends since Will defeated the vicious bullies of primary school, they were inseparable. Will would be going onto Ealdor High and whilst there was no magic there, there was familiarity and a comfort that came when nothing changed too suddenly.

Resting his tense body by leaning on the sticky train table, Merlin fiddled with his scratched phone, flipping the case so that the Polaroid of him, his mum and Will was visible. He fought a sigh. Barely two hours in and he already missed them terribly, he reread the last texts Will sent him to try and ignore the loneliness that was curling in his chest.

Everyone was expecting Merlin to up and leave his life just for the chance to go to Sky High. It was a rare opportunity and he was thankful, but it was a lot of pressure and Merlin couldn’t help but feel there was someone better for the position. 

Merlin’s uncle Gaius worked at Sky High as part of the Mage Program, he taught the hedge witches and wizards in healing, potions, history and all the rest. He was the one who had recommended him for a scholarship to the staff. 

His grades were great and Merlin definitely had magic, it just... didn’t always do what he wanted. It was so unpredictable that he was never able to really find his affinity, though because of some failed experiments with crystals - he could cross seeing off the list.

Merlin winced at the memory of him and Will trying to see the future in one of Gauis’ crystals. It was a lot of blankly staring and wondering when something would happen, that was until during a game to pass the time Merlin managed to drop and break the crystal. 

Since then, neither Merlin or Will were allowed unaccompanied in his Gauis’ labs. 

Despite the brief reprieve childhood memories brought Merlin, the anxiety was soon back sitting darkly in the centre of his throat.

People applying to the Mage Program always knew some spells, Merlin’s spells never worked! Gauis was building him up for embarrassment, his chances at the mage program were hit and miss at best. 

What was he even doing? He groaned with his head in his hands, back hunched.

He certainly didn’t have the ability to apply for a double major like some people. Honestly, sometimes Merlin thought he must’ve done something evil in a past life with the luck he had. His utter lack of ability was just part of his punishment.

Goddess, he’d been doing magic since he was a baby and he was going to end up a hedge wizard! Merlin’s stressing was interrupted as a head poked around the seats on the other side of the table.

“Hi, I’m Gwen. Are you Merlin by any chance?” The girl’s sunny disposition was obvious, she had a lovely smile on her face and air of grace.

“Yes, I am!” Merlin was fairly sure he recognised her off the icon on her profile. He continued, “You’re Gwen off the message boards, aiming to be a knight in Camelot High, right?” 

They had exchanged messages on there for a while after Merlin realised his attendance was almost unavoidable. Plus, Gwen was really lovely to talk to - she had an openness and sort of innocence he hadn’t seen before. It felt nice to meet someone before the rush of entrance exams would start.

Her curls bobbed lightly as she nodded her head, sliding into the seat opposite him and resting her backpack on the white speckled table. It had patch work and multiple graphics stitched on. “My older brother Elyan is currently in the last year of the Knight Program, it’ll thrill my dad for us both to make it!”

Merlin’s head tilted, his curiosity piqued, ”Was your dad a knight?”

“No, actually. He wanted to be, of course. That’s the goal really, isn’t it? But no, growing up he had to work a lot so he didn’t have much time to practice - he had a lot of talent though! He went to Camelot High but as a squire.” Gwen seemed to deflate the more she talked as if repeating a disappointing but commonly heard speech.

Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, with a weak smile, she continued, “I suppose everything worked out in the end. He runs a successful blacksmith’s now. Actually, he’s responsible for a lot of the weapons in the Knight Program.”

Merlin gestured with his head to show that he was listening. He noticed that as she talked about her dad’s success and progress she seemed to perk up again, her smile becoming more and more radiant. 

Without realising, his own smile must’ve got wider in return because Gwen sent him a wary look and questioned, “I’m rambling again aren’t I?”

As a response he just laughed and shook his head, feeling deep within him that he just made a friend.

He told her all about his mother, Will and Ealdor. He was known to talk about his mother, she was one of the greatest people in the world, in his opinion. So that wasn’t too odd, what was odd though was how much he trusted Gwen already.

He found himself admitting his worries about leaving home and his strange magic that he was sure wouldn’t make it into the Mage Program. Gwen reassured him that it’d go better than he thought and he in turn told her how sure he was that she’d make a great knight. 

The hour passed by without notice as they talked, the sun reaching its peak in the cloudless blue sky. Secretly, Merlin hoped that the brightness of the day was a symbol of the good things to Camelot High. It warmed him and made him feel a little less alone, a little less afraid.

By the time the train pulled up to the transition point, where the bus would take the students up to the school, Merlin felt he had known Gwen forever. There was just something about how warm she was as a person that got him to open up to her.

All that hope and optimism he had developed pretty much crashed and burned as the bus pulled up to the school. 

There was a light-haired girl two rows behind him, talking in a rather grating voice about her magic that allowed her to manipulate water into any shape she wanted, how she could do nearly anything with it. 

Whilst he was sure she was exaggerating slightly, even half of it being true was almost guaranteed to get her into the Mage program. 

All around him there seemed to be people who could do incredible things, with magic or weapons. Merlin had never felt so inferior in his life, but he resolved to himself that he was going to work harder on his magic, to get it to do something that he wanted, no matter where he ended up.

He could sense that Gwen was getting anxious too, so he joined their hands and laid them on the slightly damaged leather seats, trying to look reassuring. It must’ve worked because Merlin got a smile in return as she dragged him off of the bus to get a first look at the school.

Merlin was fairly sure that his jaw dropped. High-tech and modern were the first two words that came to mind when Merin looked at the towering white building in front of him. So tall that he had to tilt his neck to see the top of the structure, where a symbol reading ‘Camelot High’, proudly sat.

The brochures needed to be burned because they did not do the school justice at all. Even the grounds that he stood on were maintained to the highest of standards. He was sure that they must’ve had someone with earth based magic on staff to make them look as surreal as they did.

He couldn’t tell whether or not he felt slightly light headed because of the realisation that this was his life now, not Ealdor anymore, or because of the slight change in air pressure that came with attending a school that was held in the sky by magic. 

Merlin’s musings to himself were interrupted by a loud, arrogant voice taunting another student coming from behind him. He turned around, fully intending to give the prat a piece of his mind when his breath was taken from his throat. 

The world was completely unfair. Why was an utter clotpole that gorgeous? 

His shoulders were broad, his smile was bright, if slightly taunting at the moment. The worst part was his hair, of course because the Goddess obviously favoured this stranger, it was shaped and wind swept. And gold… gold! Who’s hair was gold outside of fairy tales?

Shaking himself, Merlin approached. He tried to keep his body language open and friendly but inside he was angry, he hated bullies. He had enough experience with them. Growing up in a small village without a dad, and with his ears and magic that didn’t completely work, didn't lend itself to popularity.

“Hey, come on. That’s enough!” Merlin said, keeping his voice steady.

“What?” The stranger’s eyes were wide and his build tense at being interrupted.

“You’ve had your fun, my friend.” There was something warm in Merlin’s stomach, like deja vu, but the best kind. A happy familiarity.

The blond haired boy turned, looking at his audience and then back to Merlin, “Do I know you?”  
Yet as he said it there was an odd recognition lighting in his eyes.

Offering his hand, he replied, “I’m Merlin.”

Cutting in, “So I don’t know you.”

“No.” Something inside, maybe his magic, screamed yes.

There was a smug tilt to the corner of his lips as if he brushed off his earlier confusion, “Yet you called me friend?”

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Merlin said, “That was my mistake.”  
He could feel Gwen approaching behind him.

Sending a smirk in Merlin’s direction, the smug prat returned, “Yes. I think so.”

“I’d never have a friend who could be such an a-” He was interrupted by a particularly strong tug at his elbow from Gwen, looking at her she was gesturing frantically with her head at something in front of them.

There was a girl standing on the steps, shoulders straight but hands held loosely in front of her. “Hello there, new students! I’m your tour guide for today. I’m a double major in the year above you, and my name is -”

An incredulous voice cut her off as the arrogant blond tore his way to the front, “Morgana?!”


	2. Tests, Visions and Two Knights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The entrance tests with expected results, surprising results and devastating results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Merlin or Sky High. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Do we love Lance or Gwaine more, right now? Let me know!

It turned out that Morgana and the prat were related. 

After he interrupted her in front of everyone, Morgana sent him a death glare, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up the steps, whispering angrily at him in such a way Merlin was glad he didn’t hear what was being said. 

Instead he just glanced at Gwen, communicating his slight amazement and fear through his eyes, whilst playing with the green grass and white flowers surrounding them with the toe of his boot. 

To Merlin’s irritation and with a flash of gold in his eyes, the flower turned bright red - matching the colour of the Camelot sign, and as a complete coincidence the colour of the prat’s t-shirt.

On the plus side, the whole exchange revealed his name was Arthur and it provided something for the group to whisper about as Morgana led them up the stone stairs and to the hall where their entrance exam would take place.

She was very informative as she led them through courtyards and polished hallways lined with red lockers, hardly breaking her pace as she talked with her long dark hair swaying slightly in the summer's breeze behind her.

“Okay, so Mr Kilgharrah will be in charge of your entrance exam. He is the head of the Mage Program. He can be intense but he is a powerful and knowledgeable mage, so I trust you’ll treat him with respect.” With her final word, she pushed open a set of double doors and led the class into a gymnasium style hall.

She waited for them all to gather before quietly slipping out, Merlin thought he saw her lower her head at someone in the crowd before she went.

The ceilings were high with windows letting in light that reflected off of the polished wood floor, creating squares of white that were hard to look at. The squeaks of shoes echoed harshly in the large space and the benches seemed to loom over and around Merlin as if they were already filled with spectators ready to witness his humiliation.

A man who could only have been Mr Kilgharrah stood in the middle of it all. The shining sun surrounding him, making him look like a vengeful shadow with skin tinting the colour of flames in the light. 

With his ready stance and a gleam in his eyes, he reminded Merlin of a gladiator standing in the pit, ready to fight and raze his way out. Stealing another look at his imposing figure, Merlin wondered if maybe he was reminded of the hungry lions instead. 

Merlin certainly wasn’t the only one intimidated, all around him his future classmates lowered their gazes. Though he noticed a few others, including Arthur as much as that irked him, joined him in clenching their fists, unwilling to entirely succumb to the man’s aura.

With a wide, toothy grin and knowing eyes, the examiner raised his arms as if ready to take flight. “Well then, young mages and knights - who is ready to see where they truly belong?”

His voice was a deep, rumbling sound that boomed across the expanse of hall and directly into their minds. “You there, knight or mage?” 

A girl stepped forward approaching the circle that had appeared in the centre, lifting her chin, “Knight, Sir.” 

One thought permeated Merlin’s mind, though he wasn’t sure it was his.  
‘And so it begins.’

Kilgharrah’s voice rang out, “Arthur Pendragon, step forward.”

There was an outbreak of whispers at his last name.

He approached looking confident but in a quiet way, more subtle yet more sure than his earlier arrogance in the courtyard. He walked towards the rack of swords to the right of the circle, surveying the choices before choosing the third from the left, testing the grip and the balance.

He raised his chin, looking directly at the dummy all knight-potentials had to fight. There was a spark in his eyes and an energy surrounding him, with a sword in his hand - it was the most alive Merlin had ever seen anyone.

Arthur stood three paces from the dummy, he turned the sword in his grip, turning a complicated motion into a clean slash through the air, “Knight, Sir.”

At Arthur’s words, Kilgharrah nodded and the dummy burst into action. Its attacks were relentless and continuous, it swung its blades in sharp arcs and quick jabs. 

Compared to previous knight-potentials who may have stumbled at the first onslaught, Arthur looked at peace. He countered and returned his own blows. He was fast. The light that previously cast those fighting in shadows, lit Arthur’s blade as he went to strike.

There seemed to be a glow around him, creating a shine to his hair and it made his t-shirt and jeans reflect as if it was the most polished armour. 

Watching him, Merlin got visions of a battlefield, of upturned mud and grass flying through the air. Men flying from their horses from an unseen force and Arthur spinning, a gold sword in hand, cutting them down. He was incredible.

When the vision faded, Arthur had disarmed the dummy, its sword laying metres away, useless. His blade no longer gold, pointed straight and steadily at the stitch that attached its head to the stuffing of its body. 

His breathing seemed to be laboured, but that was the only indication that he had been in any sort of altercation. 

A slow clap rose, even Kilgharrah raised an eyebrow. “Congratulations, Pendragon. You lived up to your name's sake.” 

Arthur just nodded and went to stand with the small group of people who already passed into the Knight Program.

Merlin heard Gwen’s small intake of breath next to him, as she whispered quickly, “His father is the headmaster. The famous Uther Pendragon, he was legendary as a knight!”

Merlin sent a placating smile at Gwen, but he looked again at Kilgharrah, his magic unfurled in his belly. Uneasy. He didn’t think Kilgharrah was talking about Uther.

“Cara Ryan.” A wide eyed girl in a cotton dress stepped forward, seeming unsteady on her legs.

She held her pale hands out in front of her, her voice was a bit above a whisper, “Mage, Sir.” Quickly muttering, her deep blue eyes turned a burning gold and a small mud-like creature, not much bigger than a robin appeared in the cup of her hands.

“I can create mud golems, Sir.” She presented her creation forward which looked like a little, crudely shaped man.

“Can you make them any bigger than this?” Kilgharrah peered down at her questioningly, an intensiveness Merlin hadn't yet seen in his gaze. 

She mutely shook her head. 

Kilgharrah seemed to sigh and pointed to his right, “Hedge witch. Next!” 

“Gwenivere Smith.”

She squeezed Merlin’s arm one last time and he shot her a smile. Tying her hair back in a loose ponytail as she approached the rack, her t-shirt and leggings turned to sheep skin and billowing winds in a village with mud huts, in Merlin’s mind. 

He had to shake his head to clear the contrasting vision, silently wishing his friend good luck.

“Knight, Sir.” And so it started. Gwen’s style was more defensive, less aggressive but equally passionate. She fought with all she had, yet unlike some who had fought, it wasn’t out of pride. It was out of a want to protect.

When her sword was pressing down on where the dummies heart should be, Merlin couldn’t help but cheer and clap the loudest out of the remaining crowd. She joined the huddle of knights, peeking out from behind Arthur to give Merlin a thumbs up.

There were a handful of girls left as well as himself and two other boys.

One of those boys stepped forward at the call of, “Gwaine -”. 

“Right here, Sir.” He cut in with an Irish tilt to his voice before his last name was called, eager, Merlin supposed. Before walking to the circle he turned to the remaining few girls and winked, “Wish me luck, ladies!”

Turning to the last remaining boy, Merlin stuck his hand out and quietly introduced himself to his equally nervous companion. “I’m Merlin.”

A grateful smile was sent in his direction, “Lancelot.”

The dummy attacked once again no slower than it had been in the first few rounds, the perks of being an enchanted piece of equipment rather than an actual knight who could get fatigued.

Merlin thought no one could touch Arthur’s performance, but Gwaine was close. Their styles were completely different. 

Gwaine was chaos with a sword, unplanned. Though he was no less skilful, his moves more sharp and looked far too complicated to Merlin’s untrained eyes. For the first time since Arthur’s attempt, Merlin could see a sort of dance being formed in the circle. 

It was quickly put to an end, when with a complicated flick of his sword, Gwaine sent the dummy’s weapon high into the air before he caught it in his left hand. With a smug grin, Gwaine held the two swords in its direction.

“Good. Go join the knights, Gwaine.” With a cheeky chuckle, a bounce in his step and another wink towards the giggling girls in the untested group, Gwaine did.

Merlin thought he saw Arthur throw a dirty look in the flirt’s direction before rolling his eyes and opening up the knight’s ranks. 

Two more of the girls had been called, Merlin, Lancelot and one other stood before the circle. 

“Lancelot du Lac.” He grasped Merlin’s arm before heading forward. Once again Merlin wished good fortune to his friend.

“Knight, Sir.” 

Lancelot was skilled, that was clear, and he was winning. His movements were quick, clear and concise. 

Merlin felt his hopes rise for his new acquaintance. 

The glare of sun off the hall floor tragically reflected off of the dummy’s blade and directly into Lancelot’s eyes. In his nervousness, the light distracted him for a moment too long and the dummy disarmed him. Sword point pressing into where his chest met his shoulder.

There was a collective intake of breath at the turn. Lancelot’s eyes were wide and mouth down-turned, his posture slumped as he faced Kilgharrah. 

“Squire.” 

There were two of them left. Merlin felt like praying under his breath, “Don’t make me last. Don’t make me last.”

Brilliant. He was last.


	3. Merlin is worried and Gilli is curious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait as this turned out to be a way shorter chapter than I wanted, but writer's block hit hard for this one and I just wanted to put something out.
> 
> Please comment and let me know what you think! And I still do not own Merlin or Sky High.

“Merlin Emrys, mage or knight?” Kilgharrah’s individual attention was overwhelming.

As he stepped forward, Merlin felt the eyes of his entire year upon him. This was the reason he did not want to go last, now his embarrassment was a public debacle. He was deathly aware of how his hair stuck up in every direction and how he was wearing his jeans with maybe too many rips in. 

Crossing the white circle embedded in the floor, he managed to croak out, “Mage, Sir.”

Closing his eyes and wishing to be anywhere else, he tried to feel his magic. The usual warmth that sat sizzling, under his skin, barely resisting leaping out and changing the world to its whims.

He found nothing, as if his magic could sense how distracted and nervousness he was. The only way he could describe it was scorch marks after a fire, the few remaining sparks just fizzling out.

“Anytime today, Mr Emrys.” 

Distantly Merlin could hear the impatient tapping of a foot, a few jeering laughs but all he could focus on was the bile slowly rising in his throat, the way it felt tight and his chest constricted. His eyes burned and his vision got slightly blurry around the edges. Panting was audible, loud breathing that seemed to originate from right next to his ears.

His voice failed him as he tried to whisper out a spell to summon a flower, one that had worked on a few occasions when his mother was upset, a better success rate than what he was used to. 

Yet as gold burst to life and burned in his eyes and faded out again, his humiliation and frustration rose. On his next exhale, a high whistling shot through his mind like an arrow and he was in a forest. 

Panic filled him as men in leather garb swarmed him and his companions. Merlin could tell those he stood protectively in front of meant a lot to him, but he couldn’t sense anything else about them. Not their names or their faces. 

The terror in the vision combined with the intensity of his feelings aimed at his failing magic proved too much, the images were burned from his mind’s eye as the hall came rushing into view. 

With a sound that resided somewhere between a groan and a scream, the colour of a king’s metal flared with the brightness of a thousand suns, housed in the irises of a boy.   
All the windows that lined the upper half of the hall walls, burst inwards with the force of a freight train. Dispersing the shards of glass over the speculating crowd, hitting a force before they could approach Kilgharrah and clattering to the wood with a broken sound.

“I assume you didn’t intend to assault your classmates, Emrys.” The voice was hard, clearly stating that if it wasn’t an accident - Merlin could expect grievous harm to come to his person, student or not.

Under the weight of murmurs and the intensely watching eyes, Merlin fought internally to raise his head, hardly meeting the head mage’s gaze. “No, Sir.”

“Then you show an utter lack of control, join your peers, Hedge Wizard.”

Merlin’s legs had lead weights attached to them and they were being stabbed with blunted sewing needles. He couldn’t move.

“Out of my circle, now.”

The sound that escaped his lips seemed to be a ‘meep’ as he nodded his head and hurried to his new classmates that were obviously avoiding looking at him.

Kilgharrah cleared his throat and finally the attention shifted from Merlin.

Even so, it felt like his head was under water and part of him wanted it to be. The remainder of Kilgharrah’s welcome speech filtered in through Merlin’s ears and came in as a broken garble of sounds. With pale hands twitching and legs that couldn’t seem to keep still, Merlin followed his fellow classmates out of the hall in a trance.

A numbness that had settled in his very being as soon as he crossed out of that white circle was a heavy burden, that made his gate sluggish and eyes dull and empty. Despite his earlier anxieties, Merlin secretly, though he never voiced them to anyone other than himself, had hoped that he could prove he was a strong mage.

That hope had come crashing down around him, along with the broken glass of the window. He had never felt like such a fool.

Merlin didn’t take in a lot of his environment on the way to his class. 

A hedge wizard class. He was a hedge wizard because he couldn’t even do one simple spell on command. 

Chin tucked close to his chest, eyes moving in fast flickers from left to right and back, but not really taking anything in - he slouched through the doorway. His tired, watery eyes landing on Gaius and seeing the surprise that lay on his face.

Though Gauis would never say so outwardly, Merlin knew he was disappointed. Gauis was probably the laughing stock of the department, putting his great-nephew up for scholarship just to have him fail so obviously.

Well, Merlin was disappointed enough for them both, not particularly at the outcome but at himself.

Flinging himself down onto a plastic chair towards the back and burying his head in his arms on the accompanying pull-around desk, he took a deep breath. He allowed himself one more moment of grief for what could have been, staring reservedly at his Converse before he brought his attention to Gaius. 

“Alright everyone, my name is Professor Gaius. My magical affinity revolves around healing, with a speciality in potions. Now, please do not worry if you’re currently unaware of your affinity, that’s part of what we’ll cover here, in this class.” With a whisper of magic under his breath, the previously blank chalkboard became covered in writing and diagrams.

“Additionally, there will be tutoring available from the older years if you need help in a specific area. Our first focus will be affinities so that we can tailor the rest of the year to you and your specific needs.” 

Merlin saw a pale hand in the air a few rows in front of him, it was from a similarly dark haired boy, though he was shorter and of a wider build than Merlin’s lankiness. 

At Gaius’ gesture of approval, the boy began to speak, “I’m Gilli. Will our affinities affect who we’re partnered up with? And can only Mages be partnered to Knights? Oh, and will we learn about magical objects?” 

As a professor, Gaius valued curiosity but he still chuckled lightly faced with the barrage of questions. “Gilli, your affinities won’t affect your partners for your first year because you’re all still new and we want to see how you adapt to different people. So we tend to switch the partners a few times, for the same reason it’s not just Mages who can be partnered with Knights - this year.”

A few people sat up a little straighter at this news, including Merlin himself. 

He’d been hoping that he’d just be lucky and be partnered with Lancelot but now there was a chance he could be with Gwen too! And if a small part of him, the part that focused on aesthetics, wanted to be Pendragon’s partner, no one had to know.

Gauis turned his attention back to Gilli, “And yes, of course we’ll look at magical objects. Though a wider, less detailed view for the first year.”

Merlin leaned back in his chair far more content than he had been walking in. Maybe this year wouldn’t be too bad.


	4. Lunchtime, Lancelot and a lady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe, I know I said chapters would be longer but I also want to keep giving you guys stuff, so compromise?  
> Chapters will be over 1000 words for sure, but I might've been a bit ambition aiming for 2000.
> 
> Anyways, we finally see Gwaine and Lance!  
> I do not own Merlin or Sky High

The walk to the food hall was conducted in a similar manner to the earlier walk to the exam room. Merlin was surrounded by his peers. 

Everyone huddled together as they moved along the winding corridors, the new environment making them too afraid to break from the group just yet. Though compared to that morning the merriment of the group was much improved, Gauis’ relaxed but reassuring teaching style had made them all feel a little less alien from one another.

After his first bout of curiosity, it seemed Gilli wanted to know everything he could as soon as he could and Merlin couldn’t help himself but get caught up in his enthusiasm as the morning passed. Whilst he wouldn’t call him a friend quite yet, Merlin was happier for talking to Gilli.

Even in the lunch line they engaged in a light but continuous chatter that kept Merlin’s spirits up as his eyes scanned for Gwen at the entrance doors. In the large room, where it seemed easily over a hundred students sat, Merlin tried to keep his eyes up to avoid staring at any one person too long.

Despite the school’s PR team, the very best Uther Pendragon’s money could pay for, it was well known that a lot of hostility existed between students. Merlin supposed that’s what happened when you trained a hundred hormonal teens in combat. 

Merlin’s musings to himself were cut short as he grabbed his food, smiling at the lunch lady. He heard Gilli say his good byes and head over to a table with a handful of people from their class. 

He felt small in the middle of dozens of lives happening at once, so he was relieved when Lancelot entered through the side doors, a bundle of food already in hand. 

His lanky limbs waving wildly in the air, a huge grin on his face, Merlin hurried over. Of course, if fate did not have other plans, then that’s what would’ve happened.

Instead, halfway across the distance, Merlin and his lunch tray went flying. 

All Merlin could think of during his time in the air, was that he wished he wasn’t wearing a scarf. The wool had managed to land itself in his mouth and sprawled on the ground wasn’t the most dignified of places to spit it out.  
He heard a frustrated, incredulous laugh from above him. He looked up to see very blue eyes flitting over him.

“You again? Our meetings seem to be continuously the result of you being an idiot.”

“More so you being a prat. Do you look where you’re going or are you so arrogant that you assume people will move for you?” Merlin shoved himself off of the floor, distractedly, though happily, noting his lunch seemed to have landed up right. Huh, magic.

The light shifted on his blond hair when he tilted his head, as if considering all the possible mental afflictions that could be plaguing Merlin. “You do realise most people have better mobility than that of a toddler, right?” The sycophantic cackling of his minions grated on Merlin.

Encouraged by their approval, Arthur threw a smug glance behind him and continued, “Walking shouldn’t be such a big issue, though with those ears, I could see how you’d be off balance.”

Merlin had just closed the distance between them a step, when Lancelot rushed in. Placing a hand on Arthur’s chest and throwing a glare at Merlin that seemed to say, ‘What are you doing? Do you wish for death?’, he tried and failed to diffuse the situation. 

Throwing Lancelot’s hand off of him and shooting the pair a disgusted look, Arthur stepped firmly back into the bubble of knights. A large, angry and rather stupid looking knight seemed affronted by their presence.

He snarled at them, “A hedge wizard insulting a knight and squire stepping in? Pathetic,” with a shove of Lancelot’s chest, which Merlin noticed with pride - only moved his friend half a stride - he continued, “Learn your place.”

Merlin remembered him from his flirting at the entrance test, Gwaine proved himself better than his company by standing next to Merlin and staring the large knight down. “Call off the dogs, princess. And Valiant, shut up.”

With an arm around Merlin’s shoulder, and Lancelot following behind, Gwaine led them to an empty table. Once they were all sat down and the hall’s attention was again dispersed into separate conversations, he offered Merlin his hand, and then Lancelot, with a tilted grin

“Gwaine. Well done calling princess a prat, and for stepping in, that takes guts.” 

A nod and the tension in Lancelot seemed to drop, “Lancelot, though my friend’s call me Lance.” At that, he pointedly tapped Merlin’s shoulder.

Looking happily and slightly amused between the both of them, Merlin waved with a self-deprecating smile. “Merlin, though most call me Idiot.”  
That set the trio into rounds of laughter, though Merlin secretly suspected it was the adrenaline wearing off, he was too happy to care.

And that’s how Gwen found them minutes later as she broke off from the crowd of female knights and slid into the seat opposite Merlin and next to Lance.

Her glare was pointed, “How have you managed to run into Arthur Pendragon, again? It’s a big school, Merlin!”

He threw his hands up in theatrical annoyance, “It’s not like I mean to, Gwen. He just… he just pops up everywhere!” His fingers were splayed wide and in the air, it took Lance leaning over and giving him a strange look whilst lowering them to realise he wasn’t quite making sense.

Gripping his hair in one hand and motioning to Gwaine flippantly with the other, he made the introductions, “Gwen, this is Gwaine. Don’t be alarmed by his flirting. We’ve known each other maybe 12 minutes and I’ve been propositioned thrice.”

Gwaine didn’t even have the shame to look bashful at that, he just winked at Gwen and kissed her knuckles like he was part of a Medieval court, “M’lady. Merlin exaggerates, he doesn’t have it half as bad as Lance. You see, I’ve undertaken a mission to make Lance see he’s my soulmate, platonic or otherwise is up to him. I’m not picky.”

Lancelot rolled his eyes at that, already feeling like this would be a reoccurring theme with Gwaine.

Gwen giggled at his forwardness, though her laughter cut off into blushing when Lance’s full attention was on her as he repeated Gwaine’s introduction. 

Though Lance’s gentle brush of his lips seemed far more innocent as it was without the roguish grin that accompanied Gwaine’s. Their eyes seemed connected and Lance spoke lower than Merlin had yet to hear, as he uttered, “My Lady.”

Gwaine watched the introduction with wide eyes. “Alright, he was meant to be my soulmate, but,” he sniffed with mock affront, “I can see when I’m not wanted.” With a flip of his hair, his attention was on Merlin, who was watching the pair with happiness on every inch of his face. “You’ll do,” with another mocking sniff and an up-tilt of his chin. 

This set the table into fresh peals of laughter as Merlin held his chest over his heart and fanned his face, batting his eyelashes at Gwaine. He nearly got shoved out of his seat for his efforts.

Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad.


End file.
